Global Textile EPR – California Appoints Landbell USA

Textile EPR Is Coming: What California’s New Law Means for UK

Textile Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is accelerating globally. In March 2026, California became the first US state to formally implement a textile EPR scheme, appointing Landbell USA as the Producer Responsibility Organisation under SB 707.

While this legislation applies to California, its implications extend far beyond the US. For UK and European textile producers, it offers a clear signal of where regulation, cost structures and compliance expectations are heading.

What Is California’s Textile Recycling Law (SB 707)?

Signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2024, SB 707 establishes the first-of-its-kind legislative framework in the US for the collection, repair, reuse and recycling of apparel and textile products. California discards over one million tonnes of textiles every year. This state law is designed to change that, and to shift the financial responsibility for managing textile waste from local authorities and taxpayers onto the producers who put those products on the market in the first place.

It's a model that will feel familiar to anyone working in EPR in the UK. The principle is straightforward: if you make it, you help fund what happens to it at the end of its life.

Under SB 707, covered producers must join an approved PRO, contribute funding to a product stewardship programme and meet ongoing compliance obligations. The PRO - in this case, Landbell USA - takes on end-to-end management of the system, from consumer education and repair infrastructure through to collection, reuse and recycling.

Why the appointment of Landbell USA matters globally

Landbell USA is a mission-driven non-profit and a subsidiary of the Landbell Group, a global leader in EPR solutions with operations across Europe and beyond. The Group already runs textile PROs in Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, so this appointment represents a natural and significant expansion of its global textile programme.

Jan Patrick Schulz, CEO of Landbell Group, has been clear that the Group's textile solutions were designed with the global nature of the fashion supply chain in mind. California's appointment reflects that thinking in action.

As PRO, Landbell USA's responsibilities include:

• Conducting a statewide needs assessment to map California's existing textile recovery infrastructure
• Developing a comprehensive Producer Responsibility Plan to reduce textile waste and extend garment longevity
• Procuring consumer education programmes, repair and reuse systems, and recycling infrastructure
• Maintaining a registry of covered producers and ensuring ongoing compliance
• Submitting annual financial audits and progress reports to CalRecycle

It's a substantial remit, and one that draws directly on the Landbell Group's decades of EPR experience across multiple markets.

Key Dates: California Textile EPR Timeline

For UK businesses, these milestones demonstrate how quickly textile EPR legislation can move from policy discussion to enforceable compliance.

• 2024 — SB 707 signed into law
• 2025 — Programme begins taking effect; implementation phase starts
• March 2026 — Landbell USA officially approved as PRO
• July 2026 — Covered producers must register with Landbell USA (first major compliance deadline)
• 2028 — Formal implementing regulations adopted
• 2030 — Full programme rollout and enforcement begins; penalties apply for non-compliance

For UK readers, the detail of US compliance timelines is less relevant than the broader picture: a major economy has committed to textile EPR, a credible PRO has been appointed, and the system is now moving from legislation to implementation.

What California's textile EPR law means for UK producers

Textile EPR is not yet law in the UK. There's no equivalent of SB 707 on the statute books, and while there's active lobbying and growing political interest in the subject, formal legislation remains some way off.

But that doesn't mean UK businesses should look away.

The UK has strong credentials in EPR. Schemes for packaging, WEEE and batteries are well established, and the regulatory infrastructure to support producer responsibility is mature and respected. When textile EPR does arrive, and most industry observers expect it will, the UK will be building on solid foundations.

In the meantime, California's experience offers something genuinely valuable: a live case study in how to design, launch and operate a textile PRO from scratch. The challenges Landbell USA is navigating right now - infrastructure gaps, producer engagement, consumer education, governance structures - are exactly the challenges a future UK textile EPR scheme will need to address.

Landbell Group's involvement on both sides of the Atlantic means that learning won't stay in California. It will inform how future schemes are designed, what works in practice and where the pitfalls lie.

What UK Textile Producers and Retailers Should Do Now

Even without a legal obligation, there are good reasons for UK textile producers

to start paying attention.

• Understand the direction of travel. Textile EPR is on the agenda in multiple jurisdictions, including California, New York, Washington state and across Europe. The question for UK businesses isn't really if but when. Getting familiar with how these schemes work puts you ahead of the curve.
• Review your data. EPR schemes are data intensive. Knowing what you place on the market, in what volumes and in what materials, is the starting point for any compliance programme. Businesses that have this information ready will be far better positioned when obligations arrive.

Consider design for circularity

• One of the most interesting features of SB 707 is its fee structure, which creates a direct financial incentive for producers to design products that are more durable, repairable and recyclable. That logic is likely to influence future UK policy too. fashion brands that are already thinking about product longevity will have a head start.
• Talk to your compliance partner. Whether you're already working with ERP UK on packaging, WEEE or battery compliance or not, now is a good time to have a broader conversation about what textile EPR might mean for your business. The regulatory landscape is evolving, and staying informed is the best preparation.

Textile circular economy in our sights

California's textile EPR scheme is a landmark moment. It demonstrates that large-scale, producer-funded textile recovery is achievable, not just in theory, but in practice. And with Landbell USA at the helm, backed by the Landbell Group's global EPR expertise, there's every reason to expect the programme to deliver real results.

For the UK, this is an opportunity to watch, learn and prepare. The circular economy doesn't stop at national borders, and neither does the expertise needed to make it work.

How ERP UK Supports Textile EPR Readiness

ERP UK is part of the Landbell Group family. That means our members benefit directly from the Group's global reach and the insights that come from operating EPR programmes across multiple markets and material streams. As textile EPR develops, in California, across the US and eventually in the UK, that expertise will matter greatly.

For all the background on what EPR for Textiles means in the UK, visit our dedicated page here: https://erp-recycling.org/uk/what-we-cover/services/epr/epr-for-textiles/

If you'd like to understand more about how EPR works, what's changing in the regulatory landscape or how ERP UK can support your compliance journey, get in touch with our team. https://erp-recycling.org/uk/contact/

Related services

EPR for Textiles - visit our webpage here

Extended Producer Responsibility - visit the webpage here

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